Top stars, best performances in Iowa high school baseball (July 3-9)
By Barry Poe
Here are some stars from last week’s high school baseball games across Iowa.
If you know of a top performance we should include, please email nate@scorebooklive.com.
Hunter Clark, Lisbon
The senior struck out 10 in six innings of work as the Lions advanced to a Class 1A district final with a 7-3 win over Belle Plaine.
Joey Oakie, Ankeny Centennial
The junior and University of Iowa commit homered and drove in three runs and struck out seven in two hitless innings on the mound. The Class 4A top-ranked Jaguars blasted Des Moines North 22-0 in a first-round substate game.
Caleb Klein, Western Dubuque
The senior centerfielder had three hits and drove in two runs, leading the Class 3A top-ranked Bobcats to a 10-0 win over Maquoketa in a first-round district game. Isaac Then allowed one hit and struck out eight in the five-inning contest.
Cason Peterson, Van Meter
The sophomore knocked in four runs as the three-time defending Class 2A state champions opened postseason play with a 12-0 victory over Chariton. Top-ranked Van Meter plays West Central Valley in a district semifinal Monday.
Toby Kesten, Mason City Newman
The junior was 4-for-4 with a double, home run and five RBIs for the Class 1A top-ranked Knights in a 9-1 district semifinal win over South Hamilton. Newman notched its 30th victory of the season.
Evan Neumann, Kingsley-Pierson
The senior struck out nine and allowed just one hit in four innings while collecting two hits at the plate in the second-ranked Panthers’ 16-0 rout of George-Little Rock in a Class 1A district opener.
Carter Woollums, Johnston
The senior and Des Moines Area Community College commit gave up one hit and struck out seven in four innings on the mound, lifting the defending Class 4A state champion Dragons to a 10-0 win over Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson in a district opener. Woollums is 6-2 with a 1.08 ERA and 69 strikeouts.
Ty Thomson, Lewis Central
The senior struck out 12 and allowed just one hit as the Titans opened Class 3A district play with a 9-1 win over Carroll. Parker Heller led the way offensively for Lewis Central with three hits in four at-bats.
Nate Offerman, Dyersville Beckman
The senior picked up the pitching win, spacing three hits while striking out five, and helped his own cause with two hits, including a double, in the third-ranked Trailblazers’ 10-0 first-round Class 2A district win over Northeast.
Isaac Scott, Marion
The junior was 3-for-4 at the plate and recorded the pitching win as the Wolves began Class 3A tournament play with an 11-1 victory over South Tama. Scott ran his record to 4-0.
Talon Young, Iowa City High
The sophomore had 11 strikeouts and a three-hitter and the Little Hawks scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to edge Muscatine 2-1 in a 4A district opener.
Bryce Rudiger, Dubuque Wahlert
The senior was the winning pitcher and hit a three-run homer for the Golden Eagles in an 11-1 win over Vinton-Shellsburg to open 3A district play. Rudiger got relief help from two others to register his fourth win of the season.
Gus Bashore, Underwood
The junior was 3-for-4 at the plate, helping the Eagles pass their first postseason test, 5-4, over Cherokee in the 2A districts. Underwood went on to beat Hinton 8-1 in a district semifinal.
Conner Maston, Lynnville-Sully
The senior drove in two runs and was the winning pitcher in the Hawks’ 4-2 win over Ankeny Christian in a 1A district semifinal. Lynnville-Sully will take a 27-1 mark into a final against Lenox.
Rowan Donels, Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Donels was 3-for-4 with an RBI as the Cougars opened 4A district action with a 7-4 win over Clinton. Donels ranks fifth statewide with 56 hits and has a .421 average with 43 RBIs.
Beau Leisure, Knoxville
The senior struck out 14 in the seventh-ranked Panthers’ 5-2 Class 3A district quarterfinal win over Oskaloosa. Leisure was also 2-for-4 at the plate for the 32-3 Panthers.
Koby Lampman, Carroll Kuemper
The senior had two hits and drove in three runs for the Knights in a 12-1 win over Pocahontas Area in a 2A district opener. Lampman was one of four players with two hits for Kuemper, which went on to pound Manson-Northwest Webster 19-4 in the semifinal round.
Cooper Nicholson, West Des Moines Dowling
The senior hit two homers and drove in four as the Maroons opened 4A district play with a 9-0 win over Sioux City West. Cole Southard struck out 12 and allowed just one hit in six innings of relief.
Tyler Welch, Davenport Assumption
The senior surrendered only one hit and struck out nine as the Knights opened 3A districts with a 10-0 five-inning win over Washington. Welch also had an RBI single.
Cade Rausch, Cascade
The senior had three hits, including a double, and picked up the pitching win in the Cougars’ 10-0 victory over Clayton Ridge in a 2A district opener. Cascade beat Denver by an identical margin in a semifinal.
Kade Knock, Cedar Rapids Prairie
The senior centerfielder was 3-for-4 with an RBI as the 33-6 Hawks opened 4A substate play with a 9-1 victory over Cedar Rapids Washington. Knock leads the team with a .427 batting average.
Reece Wrage, North Polk
The junior pitched five innings of no-hit ball, striking out 11 in the Comets’ 6-1 win over Greene County in a 3A district opener. Wrage was also 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI.
Collin Homan, Remsen St. Mary’s
The sophomore twirled a no-hitter with nine strikeouts and no walks as the Hawks advanced to a 1A substate final with a 3-0 victory over Alta-Aurelia. St. Mary’s had only three hits, one of those an RBI single by Landon Waldschmidt.
Mason King, West Harrison
The senior combined with Koleson Evans for a three-hit shutout as the Hawkeyes blanked Council Bluff St. Albert 3-0 in a 1A substate semifinal. King also contributed an RBI single, while Brady Melby knocked in the other two runs.
Raiden Ericson, Sioux City Heelan
The junior catcher cracked two doubles and drove in two for the Crusaders in a 12-2 win over Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley in a 3A district opener. Hunter Wauhob was the winning pitcher and drove in a run.